It's your day

Playing with Jennifer's faux metal technique for the Less is More : Silhouette Challenge.

I used Tumbled Glass and Blueprint Sketch with Perfect Pearls. I wanted to matt it on the same colour blue, but couldn't find a match ... so I repeated the technique on the borders of the card base. Voila!

Lizards and Geckos

These are not my favourite animals because they poop all over my things ... especially annoying when it's in my studio and all over my craft supplies! I have an ongoing fight to get rid of the geckos that proliferate on this island.

The "normal" ones are brown and if you give them a fright, their tails fall off. These grow to about 12cms.

This is the first time I had a "Madagascan Day Gecko" lurking around. Made sure all my windows were closed. It's beautifully bright, but I'd prefer it not to be in my house. This chap was about 28cms!

Entering this into the Our Beautiful World Challenge : Bright.

Lovely Wildflowers

Had a slow start to this year's creativity, but getting into the groove now.

I was inspired by the sketch at CAS(E) This Sketch : #156. I distressed the background masking a circle for the moon, stamped the flowers, coloured the blooms with Uniball White gel pen.

Muse #150

Jenni gave us such a gorgeous card as the Muse Challenge inspiration this week.

I focused on ...
... the script text for the background
... rectangle design
... lovely colours of soft pink, green and grey

I created the effect of matting using a rectangle mask and flicking my Copic C1 over the edge. I had originally planned a one layer card, but the colour had bled through, so had to mount it.

Also entering this to Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes.

Using new things

I have so many new things, I am way behind in using them! So today I played with my new Altenew Vintage flowers, and Papertrey Ink Smooch word die. The Blueprint Sketch Distress pen is also a new addition to my stash.

Entering the Addicted to Stamps : Make your Mark Challenge.

Muse #148

Playing with Distress Pens and watercolour paper ... inspired by Muse Challenge :

... The black edge
... The colourful flowers
... the scripty flourishes

A Merry Christmas to you all

Wishing you all the love, peace and joy that Christmas brings.

This is my completed advent tree for this year ... from Ann Voskamp's Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. I printed out the ornament squares and coloured with Copics. Can you see each of the stories that are part of God's unfailing, unbeatable, unstoppable love?

Gift Idea ... Message Blocks

I decided to use up some of the large stash of 6x6 patterned paper to cover some message blocks. Then it was fun finding stamps to match to stamp on the sides. It was a late night, but I finished 13 of them.

These Wplus9 stamps went so well with this paper. Sentiment from Papertrey Ink.

Complete different WPlus9 set. I know there is a Hero Arts stamp with almost the same flowers, but I don't have it. You work with what you have.

How I love the mix of this paper with the Lawn Fawn Hello Sunshine set.

I've had quite a few queries on how I made these, so here's the quick version :

• Choose your patterned paper and cut to size.
• Find matching stamps and ink colours.I didn't really care what make or type - I was more concerned that the colour matched, so it was a mix of Hero Arts, Memento and Simon Says Stamp, Versacolor.
• Turn the block vertical, so the side you want to stamp is on top. Hold firmly against the table top and squeeze the pages together with your one hand, and stamp with the other. It's important to try and hold it so the pages make a "straight" surface with no dips.
• Turn the block to repeat for the other 2 sides.
• Glue on the patterned paper and add a sentiment and embellishments if you wish.

At the Table

What a lovely relaxed and happy evening we had last night at our Book Club Christmas dinner. The decor, twinkly lights, laughter, beautiful Christmas cards and messages, the sharing of gifts and the delicious meal was in the true spirit of Christmas.  I am now definitely in the Christmas mood.

I used the Hero Arts houses and the Bauble die cuts to decorate the table ...  the colour theme was white and kraft.

Advent Colouring 1-8

I am following Ann Voskamp's Advent readings in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. Such a beautiful book with a rich messages each day each showing us how God has reached out to us from the beginning.

There are 2 versions : a colourful, beautifully illustrated one for the family, and a smaller one with the same "ornament" illustrations in white and kraft - ever so pretty too.

  

When you buy the book, you get access to the printouts of the ornaments. Last year, I made the white ones for my mother in law. This year, I decided to print the ones to colour. Will give me a both a quiet moment to reflect on the message of the day and to practice my Copic colouring.

I will post as I go along... here are the first 9 days.

I think I will mount them on the red cardstock as it will make them pop - or would a blue be better? I wanted the backing to be blue as the accompanying message has blue in it. I had so hoped to find a double sided paper to do the trick, but no luck.

So which is it to be?